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newbiepig

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Hi,

I'm considering getting two guinea pigs, but due to lack of space they would have to be kept in a hutch outdoors all year round.

Is this realistic, and if so can anyone recommend a good hutch (we were thinking of an insulated Omlet one, with a long run and enclosure) or insulation options?

Thanks.
 
Mine live out all year round, their hutches are fully insulated and covered through the colder months. They get lots of straw and heat pads through the coldest months as well as extra food. So far I have never had a problem with them being outdoors through the winter. xx
 
Thanks, that's good to know. Do you think the Omlet hutch is any good, or would a wooden hutch be better?
 
Hi! Fellow outdoor pig owner here! My boys live out all year long in the Bluebell Hideaway 6ft hutch from Pets at Home. In terms of insulation we have the insulated cover for the hutch from Pets at Home and also have an old quilt over the top in the winter. We use multiple Snugglesafe heat pads in the winter for them to rest on. We do have an indoor cage that they sleep in if it is really really cold. Only time we needed it was when it was snowing. My boys hutch is also inside a chicken coop to protect from weather and predators with a tarp roof so has not been exposed to rain etc which has probably helped preserve the wood of the hutch. We really like this hutch though.
 
Please don’t get an Omlet. They are not recommended. The enclosed part is far too small and given piggies should not be on wet or cold grass, or out in winter, then you will very quickly run into trouble with an omlet through lack of safe enclosed space.
You will require a good strong, wooden hutch, with insulating and waterproof covers, plus additional insulation on the hutch and probably blankets as well
For winter you will also need heatpads and lots of hay (straw is not recommended).
For summer they will need to be somewhere heavily shaded and out of warm breezes. Unfortunately hutches and sheds can and do become death traps.
For two sows you need a 150x60cm hutch, for two boars you need a 180x60cm hutch.

If you have a shed, then that is ideal for the hutch to be put into in winter. Piggies are not hardy and if does take a lot of work to keep them warm enough outside.

My boys live in a hutch in my shed (free roam the shed). The shed offers great benefit in winter as it provides protection from the elements but I always have a spare cage and plan to bring them indoors if needed. Even with the protection of the shed, they still have a thermal cover, two blankets, a waterproof cover and a duvet on the hutch, along with four heatpads between the two of them.
But, summer is the worst part - in the outside/shed is so much harder and mine have had to move into the house every summer for the past four years due to the heat in the shed (40 degrees plus) and on the lawn. It just hasn’t been safe to have them outside
 
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newbiepig said:
Thanks, that's good to know. Do you think the Omlet hutch is any good, or would a wooden hutch be better?
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Hi and welcome
With climate change underway, you need as much consider heat spikes and longer hot spells as cold weather spells plus the growing risk/frequency of stronger storms and heavy rainfall/flooding in areas that have never done so before.

PLEASE read these links:
Cold Weather Care For Guinea Pigs
Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike

Member Gallery: Sheds
Member Gallery: Hutches

Cage Size Guide

Many of our members prefer sheds to hutches as a safer option; but sheds won't be enough to prevent overheating. Many hutches and lawn runs have turned to into death traps during recent exceptionally hot summers; not only those out in the sun but those caught in a heat reflecting corner or in the path of a strong sun-heated breeze blowing straight into the shade of a tree with temperatures well over 40 C/100 F.

Omlet hutches are frankly not safe for any weather extreme; they are not designed for them nor do they provide the necessary minimal space under cover for ground roaming animals like guinea pigs.
Just look at the hut experiment at the start of our hot weather guide and also think about the many heavy spring frosts we've had in the last few years with a big hut sitting so close to cold or soggy ground...
 
Thanks all. This is really helpful. I'll bin the idea of the Omlet then. Unfortunately, we have no shed space so it looks like an insulated wooden shed is the answer. What do we do then for runs? In the summer I guess we could have a shaded enclosure of some sort, but what about in the winter? And also are we better of with 2 x males or females?

Thanks.
 
newbiepig said:
Thanks all. This is really helpful. I'll bin the idea of the Omlet then. Unfortunately, we have no shed space so it looks like an insulated wooden shed is the answer. What do we do then for runs? In the summer I guess we could have a shaded enclosure of some sort, but what about in the winter? And also are we better of with 2 x males or females?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

I have a separate 6ft x 4ft lawn run which my piggies are put into when I am there to supervise.
In summer when I’m not at home for the day and the shed is going to become hot, they cannot be put on the lawn and obviously cannot be left in the shed, so they go into the spare cage in the house for the day.

In winter my boys have the shed floor to play on.
If you cannot have a shed, then they will not be able to have time out of their hutch. Piggies should not be exposed to sudden fluctuations in temperature, so its not advisable to bring outdoor piggies into a house in winter unless the inside is the same temperature as the outside

Whether you get boars or sows is your choice. What matters is the two piggies are character compatible
and therefore rescuing them rather than buying them has huge benefit. If you buy piggies from a shop or breeder, you do run the risk of incompatibility coming to light as they hit their teens (and this is for boars and sows). This will result in fights and the need to separate them permanently
From a personal point of view, I have a four year old boar pair. I absolutely adore my boys and boars tend to mellow with age and become more affectionate. The key with boars is a huge amount of space

A Closer Look At Pairs (Boars - Sows - Mixed)
 
newbiepig said:
Thanks all. This is really helpful. I'll bin the idea of the Omlet then. Unfortunately, we have no shed space so it looks like an insulated wooden shed is the answer. What do we do then for runs? In the summer I guess we could have a shaded enclosure of some sort, but what about in the winter? And also are we better of with 2 x males or females?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Our boys have a 5ft folding run and spend most of their day in there in a shaded spot of the garden during summer with plenty of cool pads, hides etc (pig dad is a teacher so he is home in summer to supervise). I can also recommend the chicken coop with tarpaulin roof for summer as it deflects heat away from the hutch really well and keeps the hutch in the shade so it doesn't get too hot in summer. Definitely make sure you have a thermometer in there to ensure it does not get too hot however.
 
PS:
You may find our Wannabe and New Owners information collection links below helpful. We are looking at the practical side of things for those willing to research before getting any pets.

If you cannot work around the basic needs and provide year round safety, then it is always better to wait until conditions are right rather than compromise. Being honest with yourself is part of responsible ownership because compromises will come back to haunt you sooner or later. I have had a longer period in my life where conditions were not right and have never rued it for not compromising on my care. My piggies have had much better lives when I was finally able to restart again.

Are Guinea Pigs For Me? - Wannabe Owners' Helpful Information
Getting Started - Essential Information for New Owners
 
You will have to wait until the evening crowd comes in. ;)
 
newbiepig said:
Thanks. Anymore for anymore?
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A fair few forum members have the Chartwell hutch from Home and Roost. It can be either 5 or 6 ft long and single or double storey. I have the 6 ft double, in a brick outbuilding. You can buy fitred covers for them, an insulated cover with flyscreen and a waterproof cover with clear plastic front. You would need both for outside use really.

There is also Ryedale Hutches, they look very good but I'd already got my Chartwell ...
 
Thank you. The Chartwells looks good (the Ryedale seem pricey!). Are there any particular pros and cons regarding single/double storey?
 
newbiepig said:
Thank you. The Chartwells looks good (the Ryedale seem pricey!). Are there any particular pros and cons regarding single/double storey?
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In terms of cage size, a double storey does not double cage size. Only the bottom level counts as piggies are not natural climbers and some will never use a ramp. Ramps can also become a point of dominance if one piggy refuses to let the other use it.

A double storey also means double the bedding required, and for outdoors you will go through a lot of hay full bedding a double storey hutch. I do have a double storey but I actually dont let them use both levels. I only use the top level for winter night times when I lock them up there as it is much easier to keep the single level warm
 
I actually have two runs from home and roost
I have this folding one you’ve linked in and I have a 6ft solid fixed one.

The folding one I’ve had for a year. I like it, but the wood warps in warm weather. Be aware though that it doesn’t fold when the lid is on. So, if you need it to be folded away between uses, then itll be a right faff as you have to screw/unscrew the lid every time. If you’re going to keep it up all summer without storage and then fold and store away for winter it’ll be easier.

(i also have a fixed 6ft one (the one which attaches to the 6ff hutch - although I don’t have it attached to a hutch). I use this one as an additional lawn space for my rabbits so I need the additional height)
 
newbiepig said:
Hmmm, that is useful. Thanks. So what do I do for runs in winter?
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With fully outdoor piggies, basically you can’t. They can’t be put on wet or cold ground from mid go autumn until mid spring. This is the other reason why a big hutch is needed - so they can run about in there when they can’t get into a run during winter
 
newbiepig said:
OK, but is that really big enough?
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Yes, a 6ft hutch is the recommended size for a boar pair.
If you want to go bigger, then you absolutely can but itll have to be a custom made hutch as 6ft is the biggest commercially available
 
But it's enough for them to run around for 6 months? And a boar pair is best for handling, etc?
 
newbiepig said:
But it's enough for them to run around for 6 months?
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Yes.
Being outdoors does mean that there is that seasonal restriction in exercise area so without custom making a much bigger hutch (Ryedale Hitches do make a 7ft for £350-400) or having a shed so they can free roam, there’s not a huge amount you can do
 
newbiepig said:
But it's enough for them to run around for 6 months? And a boar pair is best for handling, etc?
Click to expand...

Boars tend to mellow with age as testosterone fizzles out, whereas sows can be grumpy, but that’s not to say all piggies follow that!
Handling is piggy specific - many will never like being handled. My two certainly don’t but they are happy to be around me if I sit in the shed with them. They just don’t want to be picked up so the only time I do pick them up is for their weight and health checks, never just for cuddles.
 
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